St. Matthew Lutheran Church

Today we read two of Paul’s short letters–Philippians and Colossians. Philippians was written by Paul from prison, most likely in Rome. Colossians was also written while Paul was imprisoned, perhaps the same imprisonment as Philippians. In Colossians, Paul is defending the church against false teaching–especially false teaching about placing too much emphasis on ceremony, angels and human traditions. So throughout Colossians, we see Paul speaking about the supremacy of Christ over all these things.

Look at Colossians 1:15-20:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Let’s center our thoughts there. Read the words again. In everything Jesus has supremacy. Everything. God has given it to Him. There is nothing higher, nothing more powerful, nothing more worthy, nothing for honorable than Jesus.

Let’s let that say at least two things to us.

First, Jesus occupies the supreme spot in our lives. Nothing gives us more hope, more joy, more happiness, more peace. Nothing is a bigger factor in the decisions we make. Nothing deserves more of our time, attention and service. Jesus is supreme.

Secondly, and this is what makes it all so great, this Supreme Son of God made Himself nothing and made us supreme so He could become our servant and take on our sins and our death.

Philippians 2:6-7–”Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

In all things, especially in His love for us, Jesus is supreme.

What Biblical truths does God show me in these verses?
Jesus is supreme.

Since God tells in the book of James to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers, how can I apply these Biblical truths to my life?
Today I will seek to give Jesus the supreme place in my life, and let Him be the motivation behind my words, thoughts and actions.

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Day 26 brings us to Romans 12-16. There is great joy in reading the the New Testament in large chunks like this. But there are struggles as well. There is so much to dwell on, it is sometimes hard to get all the way through the reading. That was the case for me today. I got caught up in the very first word in the very first verse of today’s reading.

Romans 12 begins with the word “therefore.” “Therefore” is not a word you start a sentence with unless you have said something just previously that is supporting what you are about to say. The “therefore” in Romans 12:1 points back to all that Paul has been saying about what God has done to give us salvation. He has said that salvation has been completed perfectly by Jesus’ death on the cross. Now he turns to how that free gift of salvation is lived out in our lives. This is what he will spend the remaining chapters of Romans on. Here is how he begins this section on our response to salvation:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

There is much to digest in those two verses–probably enough to fill a few books. But I think I will key in on the sentence “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Here are a few things I want to note about this:

• We do this because of what God has done for us (don’t forget the “therefore” that started all this).

• The world has “patterns” of living. These patterns of living are often the opposite of the patterns of living that Jesus’ followers are called to live.

• The followers of Jesus (us) are called to avoid being conformed by the world–to go against the flow.

• Being transformed is not a one time event. It is a life-long process.

• This transformation happens as God changes our thinking.

What Biblical truths does God show us in these verses?
God has acted on our behalf to give us forgiveness and salvation. He has done this freely. Now as a response that free gift, we are called to offer our lives to Him to be transformed into what He wants them to be.

Since God tells us in the book of James to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers, how can I apply these Biblical truths to my life?
Today I will seek to be aware of what patterns I am choosing to let influence my life. I will look for areas where I am being conformed to the world rather than allowing myself to be transformed by God and seek to change.

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